Hinckley to further reduce staff

Hinckley Yachts is planning more layoffs this week at its Trenton, Maine facility, company president and CEO Jim McManus confirmed this morning to Soundings Trade Only.

McManus said 26 people will be laid off this week, with more layoffs possible though July. About 100 people have been laid off at the company since last fall.

However, he refuted reports that the company is looking at mothballing its Trenton plant.

"We remain totally committed to building sail- and power yachts in Maine. We face the same challenges as our peers in the marine industry, but we're very fortunate to have a business model that's based on both boat sales and service," he said.

The company has an active backlog through next February, and McManus is hopeful that a successful spring and summer selling season will keep production ramped up.

"We've been ramping production up and down according to demand for 80 years," he said. "We need to take short-term steps to ensure the long-term health of our operations in Maine."

Hinckley has sales and service locations around the country, with manufacturing facilities in Maine.